


perfect as you are

by irisadler



Series: Say You Won't Let Go [3]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Cute Max Lightwood-Bane, Established Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Gen, Human AU, Magnus Bane-centric, Magnus is a great dad, Protective Magnus Bane
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-26
Updated: 2018-01-26
Packaged: 2019-03-09 14:32:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13483491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irisadler/pseuds/irisadler
Summary: Max loved having his nails painted. It was part of his weekly ritual with Papa. So, when Magnus offered to paint Max’s nails, he was surprised when Max refused. When he got Max to talk about it, Magnus learned that some kids at school had been making fun of Max for wearing nail polish...Wherein Magnus and Max have a heart-to-heart, Magnus is a great dad, and Max is Wonder Woman’s biggest fan.(Set sometime before chapter 6 of darling, your love is more than worth its weight in gold. Takes place completely in the past.)





	perfect as you are

**Author's Note:**

> This grew out of a drabble prompt [stupidnephilimlove](https://stupidnephilimlove.tumblr.com/) gave me and was inspired by feeling helpless to prevent one of the kids I work with from being bullied at school. 
> 
> FYI: Contains brief mentions of bullying and homophobia.
> 
> Beta’d by stupidnephilimlove, who just posted the amazing first chapter of her [Malec Princess Bride AU](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13478163)! Go check it out!
> 
> Come yell at [me](https://irisphryneadler.tumblr.com/) on tumblr!

Magnus noticed it at breakfast when Max curled his hands around his glass of orange juice. Max was usually so careful of his painted nails, proud of their bold colours, but today they were all scratched up, almost like he’d tried to take the polish off deliberately. Magnus wasn’t sure what was happening, but he knew he had to tread carefully. 

“Max, love? Are you tired of the blue? Do you want to try another shade?”

Max looked guilty, instantly pulling his hands back and hiding them under the table.

“No,” he mumbled.

“Okay. Do you… want to take the polish off?”

Max nodded. It was completely fine if Max didn’t want to paint his nails any more, but Magnus couldn’t stand the look on Max’s face. As if he was ashamed.

“Okay, love. That’s totally fine. But… is there something you want to talk about?”

Max looked up at his father, lower lip trembling, eyes filling with tears. Magnus had never moved so fast, swooping around the table to gather Max in his arms. They stayed like that for a while, Magnus crouching by Max’s chair, rocking him and crooning soothing noises into the boy’s hair.

When Max had cried himself out, he started talking, quiet and indistinct against Magnus’ wet shirt front.

“I… these kids at school. They called me a sissy. Weak. Weird. Said I must be a girl because only girls wear nail polish…”

Magnus sighed, controlling his sudden fury with difficulty. He pulled back a little, so he could make eye contact with his son.

“Max. Honey. Painting your nails is your choice. You never have to do it again if you don’t want to. But I hope that, if you stop painting your nails, it’s because  _ you _ don’t want to do it, not because of something other people said.”

Max slid off the chair, launching himself into Magnus’ arms and throwing them both off balance, so they ended up in a heap on the floor.

Magnus huffed out a laugh, sitting up and tugging Max into his embrace. They sat like that, on the floor, Max’s back against Magnus’ chest, Magnus rocking gently from side to side as he tried to figure out how to say what he wanted to.

“Max… you see me wearing nail polish and makeup all the time. And people tell me I shouldn’t wear those things either, that those things are for girls. You know what I say to them?”

Max leaned his body forward, craning his neck back so he could see his father’s face. His eyes were wide as he asked, “What?”

Magnus leaned close until their noses touched in an Eskimo kiss. As he pulled back, he grinned mischievously.

“Why should girls have all the fun?”

Max giggled, surprised by the answer. A moment later, his face turned serious.

“Papa?”

“Yes?”

“Why DO girls get all the cool stuff?”

Magnus sighed and tried to find the right words.

“Well, they don’t, really. But somewhere along the way, people decided that only girls should do certain things and only boys should do other things. It was silly of them to try to divide everything up like that, but they were the people in charge, and the ones making things for selling. They were really loud about it, and they yelled at anyone who didn’t do what they said. Over time, other people began to believe it had always been that way. It’s kind of like how some people don’t think you should be friends with people who are different from you. It’s based on an old idea. It’s silly and wrong, but that doesn’t keep people from believing it.”

Magnus hadn’t really been planning to get into all of that, but he hoped Max could grasp enough of his explanation to understand on some level.

Max nodded slowly, mulling it over.

“Is it like when people get mad at you and Daddy for kissing?”

Magnus drew back, startled. He and Alec tried so hard to shield Max from negative comments about his parents. His chest tightened with the knowledge that Max saw so much more than they realised.

“I’m sorry you know about that… really sorry. But yes, I suppose it’s like that. Basically, Max, anytime something you do or the way you are challenges what other people believe, there’s a chance they won’t be nice about it.”

Max nodded again, his forehead furrowed in thought. Then, to Magnus’ surprise, he smiled.

“Papa, those people don’t know. If they think nail polish is for girls and boys shouldn’t kiss boys, they’re really the silly ones, aren’t they? We know better. It’s like… we have superpowers!”

Magnus’ heart overflowed.  _ What did I ever do to deserve you, my love? _ He laughed through the tears springing into his eyes.

“Max,” he said, his voice cracking slightly, “you are so right. We’re like Wonder Woman when everyone told her she needed a different outfit.”

Max nodded vigorously, his face full of shining awe. Magnus chuckled to himself. His son  _ loved  _ Wonder Woman.

When Max started talking again, his words tumbled out on top of each other in his excitement.

“Yes, Papa! They made her get different clothes, but she didn’t change who she was. She still had her awesome, cool outfit underneath, and then when they had to fight, she sure showed them, didn’t she?”

Magnus laughed, heart full.

“She sure did!”

They were silent for a moment, then Magnus spoke tentatively.

“You know, the Wonder Woman way might be to paint your toes. Keep your superpower secret until your hero moment! We could do that, if you wanted.”

Max considered this, then turned all the way around in Magnus’ lap to gaze directly into his father’s eyes, face solemn.

“No.” His voice was firm, determined.

Magnus’ heart sank. Max had always derived so much joy from the bright colours and weekly ritual of the polish - something simple but special, just for the two of them. Magnus really thought he’d found a solution that would protect Max and still let him be his bright, beautiful self. It was hard to think that some careless comments from asshole kids would put constraints on his son’s self-expression. Plus, Magnus loved their tradition just as much as Max did, and he wasn’t at all ready to give it up. But if that’s what Max wanted, Magnus would support him. Still, he had to swallow to clear the lump in his throat before he could speak.

“That’s fine, love. Whatever you want-”

Max cut him off with a finger to the lips. Magnus stopped immediately, waiting patiently for whatever came next.

“No, Papa. No. I’m Wonder Woman. I. am. Wonder. Woman.” He pointed at himself, insistent. “But not Wonder Woman in the boring clothes. I’m Wonder Woman in the  _ fight _ . When everyone else is following her, because she’s so awesome. And she’s got the best clothes and the cool sword, and she’s the bravest out of everyone.”

Magnus stared at Max, a little awed. He had to clear his throat a couple of times before he could speak.

“That’s… You certainly are, my love. You’re the best and the bravest, and I’m so proud of you every single day.”

Max shushed him again, and Magnus stopped talking.

“So, Papa. SO. I want my toes  _ and  _ my fingers painted. Because I’m Wonder Woman.”

Now, Magnus was crying in earnest. Max looked at him, bewildered, then put his arms around his father.

“It’s okay, Papa. It’s okay,” he said, over and over, which only made Magnus cry harder.

When he got some of his breath back, Magnus whispered, “Just when I think I can’t love you more...” He reached out and gently brushed Max’s curly dark hair out of his eyes, his heart bursting with emotion.

Max, still concerned, looked around wildly for a minute, then bolted out of the room. Before Magnus had a chance to get up off the floor, he ran back in, almost stumbling in his haste. He flung himself back into Magnus’ lap, his arms full of nail polish bottles that fell all around them as Max sat down.

“I’m ready, Papa!” he announced, proudly. “Make me Wonder Woman!”

Magnus wiped away the worst of the tears and said, “Oh, my love. You already are.”

-

Max was most definitely late for school that day, but he beamed as he walked in, tightly holding onto Magnus’ hand. Their nails were bright and colourful, alternating crimson and gold, except for their middle fingers, which were painted a bold cobalt.


End file.
